Month: February 2016

When I was cleaning house today, I began finding things to worry about. After some time in a less than peaceful state of mind, I felt a little nudge to look up some Scripture on peace.

In Matthew 6, Jesus talked about worrying and the futility of it. Don’t worry about your life… Who can add one hour to your life by worrying?

Paul said in Romans 8:16 that the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. When my mind is in turmoil, it is not controlled by the Spirit. Anxiety is not useful to me or to the Lord.

James said in his letter in chapter 4 to submit to God, come near to God, and He will come near to us. When I am in His Word, with a desire for His will to be done, He comes near.

I love the three little words added to Paul’s thoughts on peace in Colossians 3:15. We are to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts… “And be thankful.” Thankfulness alone can change troubled thoughts into peace.

My lack of peace is often from worrying about situations for which I should be trusting God. These scripture references were helpful in resisting fretful thoughts that were not of God. Peace is an act of submission to God and a willingness to be controlled by the Spirit. We can pray for God’s power to resist wrong thinking and to have a peaceful mind and rest in God. And we can choose to be thankful.